skeeterbug Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Do you find that your kids tend to spend every second of their free time on weekends glued to screens? This is the only things stopping me from implementing this. Our weekends are generally very open other than soccer games and church, so that would leave many uninterrupted hours available for screen time...too many I'm thinking. Right now we have gotten off track and have been allowing morning screen time (due to tired pregnant mama who needs quiet in the mornings, that will probably only get worse once baby arrives). Once we start our school day there are no screens until around four or five when they have an hour or two before dinner. It has been too much screen time overall and I am ready to place limits, just contemplating options. :) And when we say screen time...at your house does screen time include movie watching (not as a family, just the kids opting to watch a movie)? Or just video games? Or both? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zuzu822 Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 I'll share, but admittedly we are pretty sparse with media. We allow twenty minutes of an iPad game (for the older two) or 20-30 minutes of a movie (the older three) any two times from late Thursday afternoon-Sunday afternoon. This has just developed over the past year. Before that they were totally screen-free. Oh, the boys are 6.5, 4.5, and 2.5. My parents were similar with screens (weekends only) although we were allowed an entire film at once (unless it was really long like The Sound of Music or Fiddler on the Roof) and even then ONLY if chores and music practice was done. I think reasonable limits within the parameters of "weekend only" is perfectly acceptable, given your kids' ages. As they get older, more self-moderation is also reasonable. Slow and steady. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joshin Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 We only allow screen time on weekends, and we only allow two hours per day. The kids can use their time to watch a movie, play games (console or computer), or watch TV. Some things are exempt from the limitations with permission. Movies watched as a family don't count. Some educational pursuits, such as watching a rocket launch on NASA TV or looking up info to complete a hobby project, are allowed without limit. We also allow computer time to my oldest fairly freely if he is doing film editing. Our limits are mainly on games/tv entertainment for my oldest son because my he has struggled with media addiction in the past. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ErinE Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Screen time is everything: iPods, TVs, video games, computers. The kids get up early and pull out their devices or turn on the tv. I usually allow screen time up to noon, and then I confiscate all mobile devices and turn off the television. I also try to limit my screen time. Unless I'm working (not surfing the board), I try to read a book, read aloud, do chores, or something that doesn't involve me sitting in front of a screen. I fit my screen time in during quiet hours. "The Wretched Stone" by Chris Van Allsburg is my favorite children's book about screens: http://www.amazon.com/Wretched-Stone-Chris-Van-Allsburg/dp/0395533074/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1368752915&sr=1-1&keywords=the+wretched+stone Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Laura Corin Posted May 17, 2013 Share Posted May 17, 2013 Our screen time includes everything except school work and family watching. The boys are allowed two hours each on each of Saturday and Sunday. They also get half an hour on weekday nights to make contact with online friends. Laura Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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